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Ocean currents generate large footprints in marine palaeoclimate proxies

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  • Erik van Sebille

    (ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science and Climate Change Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales
    Present address: Grantham Institute & Department of Physics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK)

  • Paolo Scussolini

    (Earth and Climate Cluster, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University
    Present address: Institute for Environmental Studies (IVM), VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Jonathan V. Durgadoo

    (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel)

  • Frank J. C. Peeters

    (Earth and Climate Cluster, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University)

  • Arne Biastoch

    (GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel)

  • Wilbert Weijer

    (Los Alamos National Laboratory)

  • Chris Turney

    (ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate System Science and Climate Change Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales)

  • Claire B. Paris

    (Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Science, University of Miami)

  • Rainer Zahn

    (Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA)
    Departament de Física, Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)

Abstract

Fossils of marine microorganisms such as planktic foraminifera are among the cornerstones of palaeoclimatological studies. It is often assumed that the proxies derived from their shells represent ocean conditions above the location where they were deposited. Planktic foraminifera, however, are carried by ocean currents and, depending on the life traits of the species, potentially incorporate distant ocean conditions. Here we use high-resolution ocean models to assess the footprint of planktic foraminifera and validate our method with proxy analyses from two locations. Results show that foraminifera, and thus recorded palaeoclimatic conditions, may originate from areas up to several thousands of kilometres away, reflecting an ocean state significantly different from the core site. In the eastern equatorial regions and the western boundary current extensions, the offset may reach 1.5 °C for species living for a month and 3.0 °C for longer-living species. Oceanic transport hence appears to be a crucial aspect in the interpretation of proxy signals.

Suggested Citation

  • Erik van Sebille & Paolo Scussolini & Jonathan V. Durgadoo & Frank J. C. Peeters & Arne Biastoch & Wilbert Weijer & Chris Turney & Claire B. Paris & Rainer Zahn, 2015. "Ocean currents generate large footprints in marine palaeoclimate proxies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 6(1), pages 1-8, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:6:y:2015:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms7521
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms7521
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